While a blood clot can happen to anyone, they tend to be more prevalent in women for hormonal reasons. Today we take a look at that and give you the lowdown on what you, as a woman, need to know to keep yourself safe.
Blood clots can occur at any age in both men and women. They are most likely in men over 50 and women in younger childbearing years.
Male factors include heredity, diet, obesity, and activity level.
Female factors are mainly pregnancy and birth control usage.
A Look at Birth Control Pills: Hormone based birth control pills work by altering your progesterone and estrogen levels to that found during a pregnancy. While this is intended to keep you from conceiving, these same hormones, when taken for extended lengths of time, may also be the culprit in causing blood clots to form.
These pill-based hormones increase the likely hood of a blood clot by 3 to 4 times.
These two hormones need to be closely monitored. Estrogen can increase the number of blood cells and cause them to stick together, which then allows clots to form. Progesterone can relax and widen blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily.
In combination with looser and wider veins, this can result in an increase in the number of sticky platelets. This combination can have detrimental effects on the health of women.
In addition to being pregnant, women who use birth control pills may also be at increased risk of developing DVT. Some of the other conditions that can increase a woman’s risk of developing this condition include being overweight, smoking, and having a previous history of blood clots. Pregnancy can also put you at risk for development of varicose veins and venous insufficiency.
If you take birth control pills it is important not to smoke as that increases the risk.
If you have high blood pressure or other risk factors talk with your doctor about a possible alternative method.
If a blood clot is suspected, seek medical help immediately.
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